Was at 400lbs a few months ago and lost the first 40 mostly by eating more veggies and switching to caffeine free diet soda.

The wife and I are going to Mexico 3/3-3/10 where I intend to pig out and not worry about diet, then we are both going to start Keto when we get back.

I did Keto for a bit about 10 years ago but I felt like shit all the time (didn't know about keto flu). Anyone have good homemade treatments / preventions for keto flu? I know if my wife starts feeling like crap she won't keep it up, and I don't like feeling shitty either.

I get salt substitute (it’s potassium) and usually do 1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp salt substitute, and mix it in an ounce or so of water, stock, or pickle juice and just do a “shot” of electrolytes every day. Keeps my head clear and appetite in check. Just make sure you’re getting all of your electrolytes and you’ll be okay.

I was really wanting some dessert after dinner, so I poured a coke zero and mixed 1 tbsp of heavy cream in. Tasted like a coke float, was very satisfying! I imagine it would be even better with diet root beer or diet orange soda, too.

Normally I totally pig out on the weekends. I'm talking desserts, junk, carryout, etc. Especially when my SO is out of town and I don't have anyone to hold me accountable. It's not healthy for my body or my mind.

But this weekend, on keto, I ate super reasonably, stayed on track, stayed keto, and feel good about myself. I did eat slightly more today than I do during a typical workday, but not by much, and certainly not as much as a typical weekend. My energy levels are starting to even out, and my appetite is starting to get under control, too.

So I just want to thank you guys for the awesome ideas, engagement, and support. <3

Attention! We interrupt this thread to bring you a report of an emergency craving. This past weekend I wanted something sweet! Mustachianism was carefully weighed against diet deviation. Due to past issues with promptly getting back on the wagon after "cheating", Mustachianism lost. I went to a restaurant. Oh the sweet, sweet lobster tail with salty butter. Served with a side of 6 oz filet mignon and Caesar salad. Craving satisfied, diet disaster averted and the expense came out of my walking around money. So not too bad overall. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thread.

@lexde - you always seem so focused! I didn't know you had weekend blowouts. Although it does make you seem much more human. :) Congrats on a weekend of good eating. How long have you been on keto?

@Dragonswan - what a great meal! Congrats on pampering yourself with such a delicious meal instead of junk food. That is a huge win.

Today I'm making a pork shoulder roast with lots of mushrooms, onions and garlic. It's raining here, cold and windy, so I'm really looking forward to having that cooking during the day. And what a treat for dh when he comes home and walks in the door!

Normally I totally pig out on the weekends. I'm talking desserts, junk, carryout, etc. Especially when my SO is out of town and I don't have anyone to hold me accountable. It's not healthy for my body or my mind.

But this weekend, on keto, I ate super reasonably, stayed on track, stayed keto, and feel good about myself. I did eat slightly more today than I do during a typical workday, but not by much, and certainly not as much as a typical weekend. My energy levels are starting to even out, and my appetite is starting to get under control, too.

So I just want to thank you guys for the awesome ideas, engagement, and support. <3

That's great! Those weekends without accountability are so hard to break free from.

Ok, speaking of partying, I think one of the best, and least talked about, benefits of low-carb is the dramatic increase in libido. It's insane! I haven't really done keto, I always assumed it was just a new cool way to say low-carb, but now I know that it's its own thing. So I don't know if keto bestows this particular benefit - maybe you keto peeps can tell me. But how cool is a diet that makes you feel great, let's you eat incredible food, and makes you feel like a 20 year old again when it comes to sex?!

@jane x — I am veeerrrry much human. I was keto for several months in early 2017 and just recently started up again so I haven’t been long term at all. The blowouts are 90% emotional eating and usually only happen when I am eating carbs regularly and/or am setting myself up to fail (ie multiple pints of halo top in the freezer is a no-go).

@northerner80 — I agree. Those are definitely the most trying times. As will this week be since BF is out of town. But on keto my cravings are way down so I’m confident I can break the bad habits with enough diligence.

I made keto dessert for the first time today and I’m happy with it. I didn’t use a ton of sweetener (only had stevia packets) but wanted to use up the cream cheese I had. I also had to use a 90% dark chocolate bar instead of bakers chocolate (close enough!). Overall pretty good, not super sweet but I liked it better that way.

I made keto dessert for the first time today and Iím happy with it. I didnít use a ton of sweetener (only had stevia packets) but wanted to use up the cream cheese I had. I also had to use a 90% dark chocolate bar instead of bakers chocolate (close enough!). Overall pretty good, not super sweet but I liked it better that way.

Ok, peeps, I need your help. I have food allergies that make dessert very challenging. I can't do dairy or coconut milk (not sure yet about nuts, I'm testing that right now) and I'm worried that not having any dessert options is going to cause me to wreak my diet.

Can you guys think of any dessert-type things that would NOT include dairy or coconut?

Ok, peeps, I need your help. I have food allergies that make dessert very challenging. I can't do dairy or coconut milk (not sure yet about nuts, I'm testing that right now) and I'm worried that not having any dessert options is going to cause me to wreak my diet.

Can you guys think of any dessert-type things that would NOT include dairy or coconut?

Frosting with powdered swerve and room temp butter (and extract/cocoa for flavored frostings) with keto almond-flour brownie/mug cake? If you can have almonds

Ok, peeps, I need your help. I have food allergies that make dessert very challenging. I can't do dairy or coconut milk (not sure yet about nuts, I'm testing that right now) and I'm worried that not having any dessert options is going to cause me to wreak my diet.

Can you guys think of any dessert-type things that would NOT include dairy or coconut?

Frosting with powdered swerve and room temp butter (and extract/cocoa for flavored frostings) with keto almond-flour brownie/mug cake? If you can have almonds

Swerve Candied bacon?

Merengues

Chocolate-dipped fruit (sparingly)

Dark chocolate in general

Keto gummies (recipes online)

Thanks for this lexde! They all sound good. I'm not doing butter, but everything else looks doable. Having options makes me feel less deprived. Even though I'm not deprived at all. It's the brain that thinks so.

I also meant to reply to your earlier post about emotional eating. That's always been a struggle for me and one of the reasons I created this thread. Maybe you can post here when you're feeling the temptation or urge to eat for emotional reasons? I find that often just writing stuff out helps with getting the feelings/emotions/thoughts out of my head and I feel an immediate release.

Yesterday I felt the urge to eat for emotional (and hormonal) reasons. I wanted something sweet but pickings were slim in the house and I wasn't about to go buy anything. I ended up eating about 10-12 cashews and a few small bites of dh's low-carb brownie protein bar (Kirkland brand). Those bars are dense! And sweet enough to trick the brain but not cloyingly sweet. After just a few bites I felt fine and wrapped the bar up and put it away. Last month around this time I was having huge cravings and resorting to bagels for relief. I'm glad to be feeling so much better this time around.

@Kyle B -- there's a subreddit dedicated to that, I think it's called /r/zerocarbs. I don't think I could do that though, I like my coconut flour and plant-based fats too much. :x

Today I biked to the grocery store to pick up some cream cheese and coke zero (face-punches incoming! I'm addicted) and found a 5-lb chuck roast on sale for $2.99/lb so I picked it up and biked home with it. I seared and seasoned it and put it in the slow cooker around 9:30AM. I also had some garlic-and-herb butter I had made for a different dish that needed to be used up, so I melted it and poured it over before I put the lid on to cook. You guys, I had never thought about pouring butter on an already fatty cut of meat, but it honestly made a really big difference and the result was delicious. Anyone who isn't in keto would probably be horrified of the concoctions I make, but it was delicious and fall-apart tender and the jus was delicious - so good that I almost wish I had a big piece of crusty bread to go with it. Still going strong in keto, and the brownie recipe has totally killed any desire I have for carbs or to cheat. I'll probably have to find another confection in a few weeks to rotate, but until then I've been treating myself daily and still losing weight so I'm a happy camper. KCKO!

$2.99/lb is a great deal for a beef roast! I've been making lots of braised and roasted pork and I love it with steamed or sauteed kale.

I just started a round of antibiotics (4-6 weeks per doc) and historically this has been an issue for me. I get pretty bad nausea on antibiotics and find that eating starchy foods help with that. I'm worried that this will undo all my hard work and lead me right back to carbsville. Yesterday was day one and I was able to eliminate the nausea by eating lots of kale and a hearty breakfast. But I did get nausea with my very first pill and I'll have to take 2 per day.

I'm trying not to get panicky and despondent. The antibiotic will also give me increased sensitivity to sunlight and artificial light, which I need for my SAD (winter blues). And it throws off my vitamin routine that I've set up for myself (certain vitamins cancel the meds effectiveness). But I've got a pretty severe bout of cystic acne that has become infected, and if I don't do the antibiotics, it could become seriously infected (it's happened in the past and it required surgical removal and a lengthy recovery time).

This past week has been pretty shitty in terms of external stuff (financial issues, this damned acne!, etc), but I've felt good in terms of physical and emotional energy and progress on my eating goals. I'm scared that it will all start to get eroded by this new wrench.

Plain almonds are the closest thing Iíve found to bland crackers for nausea. String cheese also soothes my stomach. Some folks use broth, broth makes it worse for me, but Iím weird in that regard.

Some plain yoghurt should help, thatís frequently recommended for GI health during courses of antibiotics though any fermented food would help a ton (kombucha, traditional sauerkraut, kimchi, etc. I believe Greek yogurt is the lowest carb because of being strained.

Plain almonds are the closest thing Iíve found to bland crackers for nausea. String cheese also soothes my stomach. Some folks use broth, broth makes it worse for me, but Iím weird in that regard.

Some plain yoghurt should help, thatís frequently recommended for GI health during courses of antibiotics though any fermented food would help a ton (kombucha, traditional sauerkraut, kimchi, etc. I believe Greek yogurt is the lowest carb because of being strained.

Good luck, thatís a long course of abx!

Thanks Harbinger. Unfortunately, I have a dairy allergy and I suspect a mild nut allergy as well. But some sauerkraut might be good with my roasted pork. I've been trying really hard not to get discouraged, but these damned lady hormones aren't helping!

@jane x — can you eat coconut flour? 2tsp coco flour + an egg + pinch each of baking soda and salt in a greased mug/ramekin microwaved 1 minute acts like bread and helps me when I get an upset stomach. Maybe it can help you, too. Nausea is the worst.

I continue to not really lose weight, but Iím probably losing body fat %. Iím fine with that :)

I've got the same thing going on, hitting the gym a lot, eating a lot and every week -0.1kg or so. Feeling very much okay with it.

I had some blood works done yesterday. As expected HDL-C and LDL-C was kinda high, those numbers are mostly useless though without more info. However, ApoA/ApoB ratio was a bit high, and that one is a much stronger marker. So one bad marker, but the CRP score was very very low also which at least somewhat counteracts it. I will just keep calm for now and do another test in six months and see how it's looking.

I continue to not really lose weight, but Iím probably losing body fat %. Iím fine with that :)

I've got the same thing going on, hitting the gym a lot, eating a lot and every week -0.1kg or so. Feeling very much okay with it.

I had some blood works done yesterday. As expected HDL-C and LDL-C was kinda high, those numbers are mostly useless though without more info. However, ApoA/ApoB ratio was a bit high, and that one is a much stronger marker. So one bad marker, but the CRP score was very very low also which at least somewhat counteracts it. I will just keep calm for now and do another test in six months and see how it's looking.

Yeah, itís pretty common to see a rise in cholesterol, but most folks see it go back down within 6-12 months. Mine was high at last blood work, but Iíll see how it is at next bloodwork. If still high, Iíll get the particle size test done and then do research. As I understand it, cholesterol research is undergoing the same kind of sea change that overall diet research is, but I havenít really dug into the cholesterol specifics.

I “wooshed” again on the scale. I thought I was hitting a plateau as I’ve been feeling a bit “blah” and my body is adjusting to being off of all medications. I was expecting to be at my last weigh-in weight, maybe even a little higher and I was okay with that. But lo and behold, the scale says I’ve dropped another 2.2lbs. I can’t remember the last time I’ve weighed this much. I’m down 7.4lbs total from Feb 1 and am already halfway to my ultimate goal weight. Crazy.

Last night my electrolytes were way off and I was super nauseated. I couldn’t do anything about it last night but this morning I had salted broth (salted-salted broth) with potassium in it and a magnesium tablet. Already feeling better.

I’m living off of a pot roast I made over the weekend and it is so good. I’ve made 4 or 5 meals out of it already and still have half of it left. Not bad for a $13 roast!

I was really bummed today that I forgot to pack anything for lunch. (Lately it’s just been a snack sized portion but I still like to have something...) I didn’t realize that the firm was buying lunch for a meeting today, though. When they said it was for our local Asian-fusion place I was really afraid I’d have to pass since it’s all noodle and rice based. But I found out they also have poke bowls, and jumped on that. Tuna, cream cheese, cucumber, mixed greens, spicy mayo. I also ate 3tbsp of pineapple and I don’t think it will throw me out of ketosis as long as the rest of my day is low carb. Win!

I've been keto since September, with some major slipups and almost 2 months of in-and-out of ketosis with no weight loss. Despite that, I'm a convert. I'm able to jog 10/30 mins 3-4x/week with minimal hip pain, which before would have been constantly unbearable. Energy is much higher, depression is better than it was on pills, and overall ease of movement is much better. Down about 50 lbs, from 305 to 256. Still struggling at times with binge eating, insomnia, and only eating when hungry (as opposed to bored, food looks tasty, etc). Looking forward to the summer, and having a lot more stamina to do all sorts of active things!

I've been keto since September, with some major slipups and almost 2 months of in-and-out of ketosis with no weight loss. Despite that, I'm a convert. I'm able to jog 10/30 mins 3-4x/week with minimal hip pain, which before would have been constantly unbearable. Energy is much higher, depression is better than it was on pills, and overall ease of movement is much better. Down about 50 lbs, from 305 to 256. Still struggling at times with binge eating, insomnia, and only eating when hungry (as opposed to bored, food looks tasty, etc). Looking forward to the summer, and having a lot more stamina to do all sorts of active things!

I was really bummed today that I forgot to pack anything for lunch. (Lately itís just been a snack sized portion but I still like to have something...) I didnít realize that the firm was buying lunch for a meeting today, though. When they said it was for our local Asian-fusion place I was really afraid Iíd have to pass since itís all noodle and rice based. But I found out they also have poke bowls, and jumped on that. Tuna, cream cheese, cucumber, mixed greens, spicy mayo. I also ate 3tbsp of pineapple and I donít think it will throw me out of ketosis as long as the rest of my day is low carb. Win!

That's great! I'm finding there is usually an option that's at least ok. And it's such a strength knowing that if there isn't, we will be just fine without food for a meal or two :)

Good job on the loss. Is the ultimate goal remaining unchanged or do you think it will change as you get closer to it?

I've been keto since September, with some major slipups and almost 2 months of in-and-out of ketosis with no weight loss. Despite that, I'm a convert. I'm able to jog 10/30 mins 3-4x/week with minimal hip pain, which before would have been constantly unbearable. Energy is much higher, depression is better than it was on pills, and overall ease of movement is much better. Down about 50 lbs, from 305 to 256. Still struggling at times with binge eating, insomnia, and only eating when hungry (as opposed to bored, food looks tasty, etc). Looking forward to the summer, and having a lot more stamina to do all sorts of active things!

Good to have you joining us here in our bacon-smelling hideout! :) sounds like such excellent progress so far. These addictions and habits around eating are so very deeply rooted in our psyche, I'd say any change we manage to sustain is a good victory. Binge eating the "right" stuff isn't so bad at least. My guilty go-to is peanut butter with roasted coconut flakes and licorice powder. (if you just made a face reading this you are not alone, my wife is not a fan of this combo :).

I was really bummed today that I forgot to pack anything for lunch. (Lately it’s just been a snack sized portion but I still like to have something...) I didn’t realize that the firm was buying lunch for a meeting today, though. When they said it was for our local Asian-fusion place I was really afraid I’d have to pass since it’s all noodle and rice based. But I found out they also have poke bowls, and jumped on that. Tuna, cream cheese, cucumber, mixed greens, spicy mayo. I also ate 3tbsp of pineapple and I don’t think it will throw me out of ketosis as long as the rest of my day is low carb. Win!

That's great! I'm finding there is usually an option that's at least ok. And it's such a strength knowing that if there isn't, we will be just fine without food for a meal or two :)

Good job on the loss. Is the ultimate goal remaining unchanged or do you think it will change as you get closer to it?

I think 125 is an ultimate goal. I was ripped in law school at about 120 (very low BF, abs, muscles, awesomeness) but that was a lot of work to keep up and is just not reasonable anymore. I had problems in the past in high school and got down to 96 at 5’5” so I have seen every iteration of lower weight and am really happiest with myself at 125. That takes some work to maintain but is reasonable. I let myself get up to 145 at the worst (which in perspective isn’t terrible) and just felt awful at that weight. Even the difference between January and now has been a huge change at only 7lbs. I haven’t really started lifting again (I need to! To get my aesthetic where I want it) but once I do, 125 will be a very happy place for me.

I've been keto since September, with some major slipups and almost 2 months of in-and-out of ketosis with no weight loss. Despite that, I'm a convert. I'm able to jog 10/30 mins 3-4x/week with minimal hip pain, which before would have been constantly unbearable. Energy is much higher, depression is better than it was on pills, and overall ease of movement is much better. Down about 50 lbs, from 305 to 256. Still struggling at times with binge eating, insomnia, and only eating when hungry (as opposed to bored, food looks tasty, etc). Looking forward to the summer, and having a lot more stamina to do all sorts of active things!

Good to have you joining us here in our bacon-smelling hideout! :) sounds like such excellent progress so far. These addictions and habits around eating are so very deeply rooted in our psyche, I'd say any change we manage to sustain is a good victory. Binge eating the "right" stuff isn't so bad at least. My guilty go-to is peanut butter with roasted coconut flakes and licorice powder. (if you just made a face reading this you are not alone, my wife is not a fan of this combo :).

Thanks, @northerner80! That combo actually sounded delicious, haha. I usually stick to binging only on very low-carb junk foods, usually those dang sugar-free Russell stovers SFcandies, SF jello, parm or other cheese chips, and the SO Delicious SF ice cream. Still crap and kicks me out of ketosis til the morning, but a sight better than what it used to be (ie a whole bag of chips and a whole bag of cookies in one go). Progress, I'll take it and keep getting better!

Joining in! I am doing the 4 hr body diet - meat/eggs, veggies, nuts and beans. I have done this in the past with the initial glycogen water weight loss, but doing the 1x a week cheat day destroyed me.

Have learned since then that I'm allergic or sensitive to gluten, and have been gluten free for a number of months. Eating less processed foods did not give me any health benefit, and all the sugar in my diet led to constant cravings. Being forced to be GF has finally taught me that I can live life without hitting every free food option (before I was that embarrassing person going back to the work / party snack table 5x when others were going 1-2x) and that for my health (cravings be damned) I can say no to regular foods.

I think my kryptonite before was assuming my body could handle the man dosed binge day that Tim Ferris prescribed. In the 4 hr body book it does say that some people can't handle 1 in 7 cheats or a full day cheat. I am going to stick to this as much as I can until an opportunity presents to have a small cheat for 1 meal period. I am not in ketosis, and I do not count carbs or calories.

I read back the last 3 pages or so and saw all the amazing treats you guys have found as a work around - I think the key to keeping my sugar monster at bay is just to not to plan to eat anything sweet at all. I did Atkins in college and remember feeling hungry, having cravings that I'd give into with low carb sweet treats and overall it was still just activating the addict area of my brain.

I started at 221 (5'10") and have the ultimate goal of hitting 175-185. Haven't been there since having kids and I don't know what's attainable any more.

A question for all of you since you're probably more knowledgeable than me. TIm Ferris says that despite being low / no carb, that cheese is still insulinogenic and will raise your insulin levels. I have been avoiding cheese other than as a light topping with salads. In the old Atkins days I'd pound cheese to keep full.

@fuzzy math I have seen zero issues with cheeses as long as theyíre cheeses that are very low carb (so not cottage cheese, for example). If you have issues with dairy tolerance some folks have to limit it, but I found my dairy intolerance actually went away once I removed grains. If I have too many carbs, like too many almonds, sometimes it starts to come back.

I am not a fan of cheat days. It fucks my system up. If I cheat at all anymore, I have a bit more fruit or nuts than I should, but definitely not sugar or grains. It makes me pretty sick. But YMMV.

Ok the most amusing thing is that the 4 hr body says the 1 kind of cheese you can have is cottage cheese bc it doesn't cause insulin to spike.... AAAUGH! I suppose I'd rather eat regular cheese than cottage cheese - but I just bought 2 24-oz tubs of it. I will have to keep an eye long term on where I stand with weight loss with one vs the other.

Ok the most amusing thing is that the 4 hr body says the 1 kind of cheese you can have is cottage cheese bc it doesn't cause insulin to spike.... AAAUGH! I suppose I'd rather eat regular cheese than cottage cheese - but I just bought 2 24-oz tubs of it. I will have to keep an eye long term on where I stand with weight loss with one vs the other.

Itís perfect. You can toast it in a pan or eat as is. I used it as a hamburger bun and it worked great!

I'm going to have to try this. I tried portobello mushrooms to serve as buns and it was pretty good but @ $2 a head it's a bit pricey for me.

Itís a little dense/spongey but is definitely a suitable replacement IMO. And it holds up well to handheld foods. I ate a whole burger without any breaking or crumbling so I was pretty impressed. I would recommend buttering and pan-toasting it for slightly improved texture, but overall it was a very quick and easy substitute. Plus, itís helping me use up the coconut flour I bought a loooooong time ago so it might be even better with fresh.

I have about 6 lbs of coconut flour i've been hoarding for a long time. Tried this today. not good warm immediately, tastes too eggy, but good once cooled! I'm going to add garlic powder to the next batch.

Ugghhh. I've been having carb cravings since last night. This is not emotional but physical. My antibiotic has made my stomach really sensitive since last week and I have a hard time keeping food in my system. So my body wants carbs because it knows they provide instant payoff. It wants dense, filling stuff like bagels, popcorn, etc. I just had some coffee right now (haven't had it in a couple of months but was wanting the energy) and my stomach already feels upset.

I'm avoiding nuts so I can't do any nut flour baked goods. No coconut flour either.

Just venting for release more than anything else. I'm glad there's no bagels in the house because for sure I'd be eating one right now. I want to eat because I feel hungry and to decrease the effects of the coffee, but I'm also afraid that anything I eat will trigger a bad reaction. Sucks. Carbs are not an option. Carbs are not an option. Carbs are not an option. Carbs are not an option. Carbs are not an option. Ok, I feel a bit better now. Coffee is not an option anymore either.

Ok, so coffee might be an option after all. I drank LOTS of water and I felt better and had good energy throughout the day. I think coffee, introduced back in, on an empty stomach, after months of not having any, is not a good idea. So I'll take steps to address that.

And I successfully avoided the carbs!!! Instead I went swimming, shopped for some needed stuff, was productive with some projects, and had soup for dinner. Sometimes my brain is like a child and demands stuff but if I tell it NO firmly, it settles down and stops making a fuss.

If itís the acid in coffee that bothers you, different types of beans and brewing methods will result in dramatically different acid levels. Bulletproof coffee is not my thing, canít remember if you mentioned trying it in the past or not, but that is easier to digest as well.

Been experimenting with more fruit (sticking with low glycemic index for now) so that I can make green smoothies that taste tolerable to me, also upping my vegetable intake. Also eating a bit more protein to fat lately and liking the results combined with increasing my activity level.

I've been super-lazy keto the last month but it's still working out pretty well for me. I keep a rough idea of how many carbs I'm eating in my head and other than that I don't worry about it. I'd estimate that I stay below 20 most days, and hover around 30 on "bad" days which still keeps me in ketosis. I just generally have cut out anything with carbs, but everything else I've eaten before so I have a rough idea (TBSP bleu cheese dressing = 2g carbs; keto brownies 2g net carbs; green beans 4g net carbs; etc.) without actually tracking.

I was just wondering who here is super-strict (weigh/measure/MFP or other tracker) and who else is super-lazy like me :V (and the in-betweeners, too!)

I'm due for a weigh-in but I'm feeling pretty good regardless! I'll probably weigh in tomorrow morning.

I'm an Atkins woman myself. Having done the diet many times (not to drop weight but to keep from going above a certain weight and to glucose detox) I pretty much know what I can eat and how much before I stop seeing results. If I plateau I give myself two weeks before cutting out more carbs because I tend to drop and plateau a fair bit without changing diet or exercise habits. If I gain more than two pounds, I get stricter with the diet.